Blue Jays Target Depth‑Rich 2025 Draft at Pick 39

Current Farm System Status

Baseball America rates Toronto’s system 18th overall, while Fangraphs places the club at 20th after a recent re‑ranking. Both evaluations count Trey Yesavage, a top prospect, whose presence inflates the numbers; without him the Jays would likely slip into the mid‑20s range. MLB.com had the farm 15th before the season, also factoring the same player. Despite being in the below‑average tier, Toronto sits clearly above the truly struggling franchises such as San Diego, Houston and Philadelphia, a credit to years of selective deadline purchases and qualifying‑offer penalties.

The organization’s recent investments show promise. Arjun Nimmala and Jojo Parker form a quality one‑two at the top of the position groups, while the emergence of Johnny King, Nolan Perry and Gage Stanifer hints that the Dunedin pitching lab is beginning to bear fruit. The system lacks depth, and the upcoming draft will not immediately fill that void, but the core pieces are in place for future growth. Impact‑ready talent is still a year or two away, with Sean Keys, Yohendrick Pinango and, possibly, Jake Bloss slated to contribute in 2026.

A Deep 2025 Draft Class

This year’s entry is described as unusually deep, giving Toronto multiple shots at high‑quality talent. The clear top tier—UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas high‑school shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey—are expected to be among the earliest selections. A secondary tier of roughly six or seven players, including Mississippi outfielder Eric Booth Jr., Florida prep shortstop Jacob Lombard, Florida lefty Gio Rojas, LSU outfielder Derek Curiel, Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress and UC Santa Barbara righty Jackson Flora, should land somewhere in the 4‑12 range. Below that sits a large, flat group stretching from the mid‑teens into the early 40s, a spread that could keep a quality prospect like a typical first‑round talent available for the Jays at 39.

The breadth of the class means the Jays have room to be selective while still addressing multiple needs. A player who might normally go in the first round could still be on the board when Toronto picks, allowing the club to prioritize positional value or protective clauses. Depth also reduces the risk of drafting a player who fails to develop, as there are many alternatives at similar rounds.

Potential Targets in Rounds 25‑50

High‑School Bats

• Will Brick – a catcher with a plus arm and solid defense; his swing could settle into league‑average power and contact.

• Landon Thome – currently a shortstop who may move to third; he carries 25‑home‑run power potential but needs to handle high fastballs.

• Taj Marchand – a right‑handed swinger with above‑average contact and power upside; his approach remains aggressive, which could be a concern against pro pitching.

• Aiden Ruiz – an elite defensive shortstop with plus‑pure hitter tools; his smaller frame caps power but adds sneaky pop on mistakes.

• Trevor Condon – a plus centre‑field defender with decent contact; power production against wood bats is still a question mark.

• Bo Lowrance – a 6‑foot‑5, 200‑pound athlete with current plus power and room to grow; contact is solid, defence projects to third base.

• Cole Prosek – a well‑rounded lefty who can add average‑above contact and power; primary commitment is shortstop but may shift to third.

• James Clark – a left‑handed shortstop with top‑tier baseball IQ and speed; he should hit for average and OBP but lacks blow‑away power.

High‑School Arms

• Kaden Waechter – above‑average command of four pitches that sit in the upper 80s; he could become a solid #2 or #3 starter.

• Sean Duncan – the top Canadian prospect, struck by Tommy John surgery; prior to the injury he was tracking for the first round with a 93‑95 mph fastball and above‑average secondary stuff.

• Coleman Borthwick – can touch 98 mph, possesses a promising slider and a starter‑type frame; conditioning and a third pitch remain areas to improve.

• Blake Bryant – a standout athlete with three above‑average pitches—fastball, curve, slider—and a developing change‑up; there’s upside at 6‑foot‑5 and 180 pounds.

• Jensen Hirschkorn – a two‑sport prospect whose velo dipped this spring after a heavy basketball season; when healthy he features a 93‑96 mph fastball and a plus‑plus slider, with a solid change‑up potential.

College Bats

• Logan Hughes (Texas Tech) – plus all‑around bat with good contact and some power; defensive value limited to left field or first base.

• Gaving Grahovac (Texas A&M) – after a torn labrum he rebuilt his swing, now providing solid contact and raw plus power; works best as a pro‑first‑base option.

• Jake Brown (LSU) – right‑field talent with speed, solid power and decent contact; appears ready for everyday play at any outfield spot.

• Jarren Advincula (Georgia Tech) – elite contact hitter in college, will need an approach against quality pitching; can stay at second base.

• Daniel Jackson (Georgia) – a standout athlete with plus power, but catcher eligibility is in doubt due to mechanics; hit tool is a concern.

• Jack Natili (Cincinnati) – drafted catcher with a plus arm; relies more on power than average, keeps strikeouts manageable.

• Carson Tinney (Texas) – catcher with power bat and average arm; college strikeout rate high and struggled in Cape Cod, adding risk.

• Cade Sorrell (Texas A&M) – plus speed and arm, can play any outfield; above‑average power but needs approach refinement.

College Arms

• Jack Radel (Notre Dame) – a 6‑foot‑5 workhorse whose stuff jumped this season; solid command of five pitches makes him a high‑probability mid‑rotation piece.

• Cade Townsend (Ole Miss) – can touch 98 mph with plus secondary pitches; undersized frame, past shoulder issues, but offers upside if healthy.

• Brett Renfrow (Virginia) – improved sharply late in the year, now showing a good fastball, a plus curve and better command; fits a mid‑rotation role.

• Cole Carlon (Arizona State) – a 96‑mph fastball that touches 101, with a monster slider; curve and change‑up need work before he can reliably start.

• Hunter Dietz (Arkansas) – 95 mph fastball and plus slider, with a decent change‑up; limited recent pitching raises medical questions for some teams.

• Logan Reddemann (UCLA) – plus command of five pitches, best fastball at 94 mph and above‑average change‑up; all three breakers are quality, but a stint with arm fatigue clouds an otherwise clear first‑round profile.

• Ben Blair (Liberty) – sinker‑slider specialist with strong performance track record; needs a better change‑up to become a reliable innings‑eater.

Why Depth Benefits Toronto

The Jays’ current system sits in a tricky middle ground—solid enough to avoid the worst franchises but not rich enough to generate immediate impact. A deep draft class gives them the luxury to address multiple needs without draining resources. With quality arms and bats spread across rounds, Toronto can build both short‑term contributors and long‑term cornerstones while smoothing over the lack of depth in other areas.

Looking ahead, the organization will aim to integrate the emerging pitchers from the Dunedin lab while supplementing the positional groups with the drafted talent. If the front office can pair the young arms with the new collegiate and high‑school hitters, the farm system could climb back toward the upper‑mid tier within a few seasons. The 2025 draft offers a chance to accelerate that trajectory, using a later pick to snag a player who would otherwise likely be a first‑round talent, maximizing the return on a pick that might otherwise feel underwhelming.